End of my Toronto Invisalign Treatment!

I can finally say that I have completed my Invisalign treatment! It's been a few weeks since I finished my last aligner and moved onto retainers. I did have a filling re-done on my upper central incisor. That same incisor is very prone to moving forward throughout the day which is why I opted for a permanent fixed retainer behind my front four teeth. One of our hygienists Emma bonded the retainer for me. It is secured in with resin (glue) on each tooth and a wire that is bent to the grooves of my teeth. It took me about 3-4 days to get used to the retainer. I will admit that I didn't like it at first. I almost regretted getting it, but now it's really smooth and I barely notice it. After I had the fixed retainer bonded, an upper impression was taken to make a same day retainer (temporary). Emma then took an iOC scan of my teeth for Vivera retainers. Those take a few weeks to come in which is why I had a temporary one made at our clinic lab. Here are a series of photos taken that day!

Step 1: Bond the upper fixed lingual retainer. I have 2 cotton rolls under my upper lip which is why it looks funny!

Step 2: Retainer is bonded. Emma is taking an upper impression of my teeth to make a same day removable retainer (looks just like an Invisalign aligner)

Step 3: An upper and lower iOC scan for Vivera retainers

Step 4: While we were taking the scan of my teeth, my impression was poured up and a model was created. I then made a temporary retainer with this model!

Now for the most exciting part! Here are my initial and final photos! My teeth have come a long way! I started my treatment in January 2012 and completed everything by April 2014!

Tadda! What do you guys think? I have been receiving many compliments on my new smile! Having that perfect smile that everyone longs for truly does improve the way you carry yourself. I am no longer trying to cover my mouth when speaking or laughing (yes I used to do that!).  I am so grateful to have gone through this experience and achieve the smile that I have been waiting 10+ years for! Thank you to Dr. Tam and our amazing MCO team for helping me through my treatment!

P.S. Our hygienist Emma is in treatment with metal braces. She also writes a blog about her experience as an adult with braces! Feel free to check it out! http://stouffvillebraces.blogspot.ca/

Thank you for reading and following me throughout my Invisalign journey! 

....as always, keep smiling =) 

AcceleDent with Invisalign!

I am happy to say that my Invisialign treatment is almost complete! I will be having one of my fillings re-done this week. Once this filling is done, I will post before and after pictures to show you the final result. 

I wanted to talk about a product called AcceleDent. It has been around for a few years, but was just recently introduced to North America. AcceleDent is an extra oral hand held mouth piece. It has accelerated micro pulses to speed up the bone remodeling process during orthodontic treatment. It is used for only 20 minutes/day (consecutively) and great for anyone who has Invisalign or braces. Acceledent will help reduce your treatment time anywhere between 30-50%. This is huge for many of our patients, especially adults! It also has the benefit of reducing any discomfort and soreness. We have been offering AcceleDent to our patients for the past year and the response has been nothing but positive! We have patients in both Invisalign and braces treatment using it. The mouth pieces come in different sizes and forms to best suit your mouth. It is personalized to you. I wish AcceleDent was available when I started treatment! I was over 50% into my treatment when we started using it, so I wouldn't have benefited from it. For anyone who is interested in orthodontic treatment and concerned about the treatment time, definitely think about AcceleDent as an option. Here is a the link to the AcceleDent website if you are interested! http://acceledent.com/

I can't wait to share my final photos with you! 

Thanks for reading :)

Progress Photos With My Refinement Aligners

I am coming very close to the end of my refinement aligners and wanted to post progress photos from my first refinement aligner to now (stage 10). Here is a before and after picture: 

In December, my front teeth were not completely aligned, especially the centrals. You can see how my front teeth have straightened out very well and also look "rounder." I only have 2-3 more aligners of over correction to go! I can't wait to share my final photos with all of you! Thanks for reading!

Keep smiling :)

My Invisalign Toronto Update

This week I went into my 6th tray! Time has gone by really fast! I am halfway through my refinement aligners and can definitely notice a difference with my top 2 front teeth. My bite feels a little different on my front teeth now, especially when I am eating. Like I previously mentioned in my last post, my aligners have the new smart track material which feels much lighter on my teeth and also less tense. For this reason, I am noticing less tension headaches and soreness on my teeth. I also had some interproximal reduction (IPR) done between my upper centrals at week 3 of refinement. The weeks literally fly by and I don't feel any sort of discomfort with the aligners. I've come to a point in my treatment that I feel strange when I don't have my aligners on! I will be posting some progress photos soon to show you how far I've come with my treatment. Thank you for reading!

Keep smiling =)

Smart Track Invisalign Toronto Refinement Aligners

I started my Toronto Invisalign refinement aligners last week and they feel great! In late January 2013, Invisalign changed their aligners to the smart track system. With these aligners there is no sudden soreness/tension when you switch into a new set. The tension is gradual which has helped me when biting into foods that are more dense. These aligners are also very flexible and feel great on my teeth. My previous aligners sometimes felt very bulky, but I adapted to them. After trying on my refinement aligners, I was pleasantly surprised as it feels like I have nothing on my teeth! I have a total of 13 aligners with the last 3 being over correction. Below is a video of me showing the flexibility of the aligners.  Also go and check out one of my co-worker's blogs for her Richmond Hill Invisalign experience.  Enjoy!

Keep smiling and have a great weekend! :)

Goodbye to my Toronto Invisalign Attachments!

I am happy to say that my attachments have come off for my Invisalign in Toronto! I forgot what it feels like to have "bump-less" teeth. My teeth are so smooth now and not to mention, MUCH straighter! I've been getting a lot of compliments from patients, co-workers, family and friends! The process of removing the attachments was fairly quick. This was my second time having attachments removed. I took a short video of the way attachments are removed. I also have some updated progress photos. In my photos, you might notice that my upper anterior teeth still need some slight adjustments. I will be going into refinement aligners in a couple of weeks from now which will help align those teeth.  I was forewarned that not having attachments on my front teeth would mean a good likelihood that they would not be done after these sets, so I'm ok with this.  I also have a small filling on the mesial tip of the upper right central incisor, which is making it look more crooked than it actually is.  I might need attachments for that stage depending on what my orthodontist treatment plans for me. For now, I am just so excited to feel the smoothness of my teeth again! Enjoy the pictures and video!

What do you think? I have the biggest smile on my face right now after seeing how much progress my teeth have made. It's amazing! Thanks for reading!

Keep smiling! =)

Treatment Update with my Toronto Invisalign

Hi everyone! Last month I mentioned that my Invisalign attachments are coming off in a few weeks. The time has come and they will be coming off in 3 days! I will be posting a video of how the attachments are removed and some progress photos as well! I still have 2-3 more sets before I have another iOC scan for my refinement aligners.

On a side note, I've had less than 10 people notice my aligners since I began treatment! If you are someone who is concerned about people seeing your "braces," Invisalign is a great alternative! It's definitely something to inquire about with your orthodontist! Thanks for reading! I will have my next post up in 3-4 days!

Keep smiling :)

Interproximal Reduction (IPR) for Invisalign in Toronto

Hi everyone! A couple of weeks ago I had Interproximal Reduction (IPR) done. I have mentioned this before in one of my previous posts. It is a round diamond disc that the orthodontist will use to help create a minuscule space between the teeth to allow them to rotate/align. IPR can be done in different forms. The two most common forms are a strip and disc. In this case, an IPR disc was used. Both forms of IPR are always done by the orthodontist.  The first time I ever saw an IPR disc, I was a little intimidated by it and also very curious as to how it felt against the teeth. To my surprise, it really doesn't hurt or irritate the teeth. It just feels like something is vibrating against your teeth. I'm sure there are many Invisalign patients who will agree with me about this. Also, not everyone will need IPR, but if you do, it is definitely not something to be afraid of :)  

At this visit, we also took a progress panorex xray to see my roots. Everything looked to be going on track! This was exciting to hear! Also, I was switched to a 7 day cycle which means my attachments will be coming off in exactly 3 weeks!! Although I will need refinement aligners, I'm happy to be close to the end of my midcourse correction aligners!

This is my panorex xray from when I initially began treatment 

This is the panorex xray we took a few weeks ago in October 2013. My roots are looking much better! 

I hope everyone is having a great weekend so far!

Keep smiling :)

Celebrities and Invisalign!

I wanted to have a little fun with today's blog post. As most of you know, Invisalign has become extremely popular, especially among celebrities. I've created a small collage of some celebrities who have had Invisalign or are currently in treatment. Enjoy!

Justin Beiber, Khloe Kardashian,
Bailee Madison, Katherine Heigl,
Christina Milian, Cheryl Cole

As for my Invisalign, thing's are progressing very well! I'm currently on aligner 22, which means I am that much closer to finishing my treatment! Next week I will be having interproximal reduction (IPR) done (scheduled for aligner 23) and will post a video of the procedure. Most people are afraid when they hear the word "interproximal reduction," so I want to post a video and show you that it is not as intimidating as it sounds. 

Keep smiling! =)

Invisalign Summer 2013 Smile Gallery

After seeing how much progress I've made thus far, I am feeling more confident about my smile. Although my teeth aren't perfect yet, they are looking "straight." I went on vacation this summer, and not a single person noticed my aligners. The few people who occasionally see my aligners are intrigued by the concept of Invisalign. It almost feels like a win win situation for me. I couldn't be more happier with my decision of getting Invisalign! I previously posted some close up pictures of my teeth and received positive feedback. I decided to create a new smile gallery for you all to see. These photos were taken this summer from June-August. There are 2 pictures of me without my aligners on. I want to show everyone that the attachments are not noticeable, even close up in some pictures! 

I hope these pictures are helpful to anyone who is interested in Invisalign and to those who are curious to see what attachments look like! 

As always, 

keep smiling =) 

Video: Cleaning my Invisalign Trays

Hi everyone! I know I've briefly discussed how to clean aligners in previous posts, but I thought I would post a video and show you how I brush mine. You do have the option of using mouth wash (preferably clear), an ultrasonic cleaner, or just warm running water and a tooth brush (my preference). Below is a video of me brushing my aligners after dinner today. I use a children's toothbrush because the brush head is the perfect size to get into all the grooves and corners of the aligners. I generally spend around 2-3 minutes cleaning my aligners in the morning, but throughout the day I brush them quickly as shown in the video. I apologize for the quality of the video. It was taken with my cell phone so it may not be too sharp, but you will get an idea of how I brush my aligners. 

I hope everyone had a great weekend! 

Til next time, keep smiling =)

16 Month Progress Photos With My Toronto Invisalign

I am currently 16 months into my Invisalign treatment and so incredibly happy with the results so far! As promised, I posted progress photos. The first set of pictures is what my teeth originally looked like in January 2012 and the second set is from June 2013. I used to be very self conscious about my front two upper teeth (centrals) overlapping because it would look funny in pictures.  It's now come to a point that they look almost straight! Although they are still overlapped, it definitely isn't  as noticeable anymore! My lower anterior teeth have changed so much. Many of my friends/family/co workers are also noticing the changes and are very happy with the results (as am I)!

Keep in mind that due to my pre-existing root resorption, Dr. Tam has decided to move my teeth at a bit of a slower rate to minimize any future damage.  Still, he felt it was safe enough for me to go on a 10 day cycle.  This makes me SO happy and excited knowing that my teeth will be almost perfect at the end of the year! I am really close to having that perfect smile that I have been so anxiously waiting for! Below are the photos! 

January 2012 (Initial photos)

Progress photos (16 months in). June 2013

What do you think about the progress? It feels great!

Keep smiling! 

=) 

Toronto Invisalign - Chipped or Broken Attachment?

Hi everyone! Today I want to talk a little bit about chipped or broken attachments. I am currently on aligner #11. I was supposed to switch into aligner #12 a few days ago, but I noticed that same day that one of my upper premolar attachments was chipped. I'm not sure when this happened, but I am certain that it was some time in the past week. I generally check my attachments weekly to make sure they are all intact. I will have a new attachment bonded on before I switch into aligner #12. It is important that if/when an attachment comes off, that you do not switch into your next set until the attachment is bonded back on. For example, if I were to get my new attachment bonded on with aligner #12, than I won't get the correct movement with my tooth for that stage. If I bond the new attachment at the end of #11 cycle, than my attachment will be in the spot it is supposed to be in for the beginning of stage 12. 

Sometimes with the attachments being so small, it is hard to tell whether or not they are chipped/broken. A good way to check the shape is to match the outline of the attachment wells on the aligner and compare it to the actual attachment bonded on the tooth. If you're still uncertain and not sure if the attachment is chipped/broken, it is best to see your orthodontist and have them take a look at it for you. Having a chipped/broken attachment and not getting it fixed can delay your treatment time because the tooth won't align correctly. It can also cause future aligners to not fit accurately. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask them in the comments section! Hope everyone has a sunshine filled weekend! 

Keep smiling =) 

10 Day Cycle With My Toronto Invisalign!

Two days ago I switched into aligner 9. I was also told that I can now follow a 10 day cycle! I`ve been waiting to hear this for a long time now. Switching to a 10 day cycle means I will complete my treatment sooner then I expected. Instead of finishing in March 2014, I should be done treatment by approximately December 2013/January 2014. At that time I will have completed all my aligners, however, there is still a chance that I will need refinement. When I originally began treatment, my upper canines were moderately rotated, meaning that it will take longer to correct their alignment. I was given the option of having partial braces to speed up the treatment, but I opted to have full Invisalign. For everyone who is planning to or currently in Invisalign treatment, just know that after your initial treatment, there is still a chance you may or may not need refinement. The refinement stage is generally to adjust any areas that you or the Orthodontist feels needs to be corrected. In my case, if the canines are not exactly where they should be, then we would proceed with refinement. Nonetheless, I am VERY excited to have been able to switch to a 10 day cycle! I'm crossing my fingers that my canines are cooperative and align themselves out by December!

On a side note, to all of my fellow Torontonians, I hope you are enjoying the beautiful spring weather that we are finally having! Thank you for reading and I look forward to updating you with progress photos soon!

Keep smiling =) 

Feeling Blue Or Under The Weather With Your Toronto Invisalign?

For the past week I've been feeling a little blue with the usual cold symptoms (stuffy/runny nose, sore throat, cough, etc). I'm not sure if anyone has experienced being sick with Invisalign, but it's definitely not a great feeling. I avoid putting my aligners back on until I give them a thorough cleaning. Luckily our office is closed this week so I was able to spend extra time cleaning my aligners at home. It's an unpleasant feeling putting your aligners back on when knowing you've coughed all over them. Here's what I've been doing: Filling a small container 1/4 way with water. Then I add about 3 table spoons of clear mouth wash. I let it soak in there for 15 minutes and brush it under running water.  I use a separate brush for cleaning my teeth and aligners (I say this because I've heard some people use the same brush).  When I'm sick, I always use brand new brushes. I try to switch into new brushes every couple of days until my cold is gone. I know it sounds a little over board, but that`s just my germaphobe side kicking in. Thankfully I only have 4 more days of wearing these aligners. I can`t wait to put a fresh pair of trays on! Happy Easter to everyone celebrating! 

Thank you for reading and following me through my Invisalign journey! 

Keep smiling =) 

MCC Attachments with My Toronto Invisalign

Hi everyone! As promised, I have uploaded pictures to show you what my attachments look like. They are barely recognizable.  I haven't had one person notice them yet!  Let's see how long I can keep that number at zero!

I've circled all the teeth that have attachments on them. There is one that is 

not circled because it's more towards the back and not visible in the picture.

Thanks for reading! Feel free to comment and/or ask any questions!

Keep smiling =)

Officially One Year With My Toronto Invisalign!

This week officially marks my one year of wearing Invisalign! It feels like this year went by really fast. To be honest, I can't remember what my teeth looked like when I first started.  A few weeks ago, I received my mid course correction aligners (MCC).  It felt so GOOD to have aligners that fit completely snug and perfect around my teeth! My previous aligners had a slight 1mm void between the edge of my front teeth and the aligner itself (due to missed IPR date). To all those who are self conscious about how the trays look like on and off, I've posted a picture below so you can see the difference.  I can almost guarantee that no will notice your aligners (especially with no attachments).  As promised, I've posted pictures showing my progress from this past year.  Enjoy! Feel free to comment or ask any questions!

I am wearing my MCC aligners in the picture on the left.  Barely noticeable.

1 year progress photos.  My front teeth have changed so much.  I can't wait to see the final product!

Thank you for reading! The next time you hear from me will be when I get my attachments on (about 2 weeks)! I'll definitely take some pictures to show you guys!

Keep smiling =)

Toronto Invisalign...Brand New Year...Brand New Smile

Happy New Year! Hope you all enjoyed the holidays and had a wonderful new years! Just like BBQ season in the summer, the holidays are full of dinner parties and lot's of food/treats.  Once again, this was a little challenging with Invisalign, but I made it work.  As funny as it sounds, I made sure I had a travel toothbrush on me whenever I went to a dinner party at someone's house.  I would sneak into the bathroom and have a quick brush before putting my trays back on.  This worked a little better when I was at my close relatives homes because I didn't have to sneak around to brush my teeth.  I also went to New York City this past week and it wasn't as hard to keep the 22hours/day as I thought it was going to be.  Luckily I was always close to a bathroom (private not public) so it was easy for me to have a quick brush if need be. I would say the only hard time was when I went out for dinner or a night out in the town.  During those nights, I would have a thorough rinse with water, put my trays on and brush both my teeth and aligners when I got home. 

Right now, I am in the process of midcourse correction.  Just before the holidays, we did another iOC scan to help adjust/change my treatment.  This is very normal and can happen to some people.  Unfortunately for me, I missed my IPR (interproximal reduction) date which caused my next aligners to not fit as snug.  Although this happened, I'm not worried at all in terms of my treatment.  I know I'm in good hands and my treatment is still progressing well.  It will almost be a year since I first started Invisalign. My teeth have aligned really well so far. I'm actually starting to get a lot of compliments and many of my friends and family are noticing a big difference with my smile and top two front teeth.  It's definitely a self esteem booster! 

I will be posting some progress photos of my teeth before the end of this month to mark my one year of wearing Invisalign. Hope 2013 is off to an amazing start for all of you!

Keep smiling =)

SMILE! Say Cheese.....with your Toronto Invisalign attachments!

Ever since I started Invisalign, two of the most common questions I get from patients about attachments are, "are they very noticeable in the front?" and "will they stain easily?"  I actually have 4 attachments on my top front teeth (lateral incisors and canines). I have gone through numerous 25 min Invisalign appointments talking to patients face to face (no mask), about 1-2 ft apart and they still never knew I was wearing Invisalign! I usually tell my patients that I have Invisalign at the end of the appointment because it puts them more at ease knowing that it's barely noticeable even 1 ft away. My attachments are slightly stained and that is due to my love for green tea and Chinese/Indian food! When drinking green tea, I usually use a straw to reduce the amount of staining. I also suggest to all my patients that they have a very thorough brush right after eating/drinking foods/liquids that will stain their attachments easily.  I would recommend using a whitening toothpaste as this may help with the attachments slightly. 

For everyone who is self conscious about stained attachments, or just attachments in general, I've posted a collage of close up smile pictures (of myself) from Feb 2012-present. I tried to find pictures of myself with and without the aligners on to show you the difference. Most of these were taken at restaurants so you'll notice that I wasn't wearing the aligners at the moment.  Here are some of my Invisalign attachment pictures :

Real life Invisalign attachment pictures

I would love to hear your feedback on how you feel about your attachments! Thanks for reading! 

Keep smiling =)

50% Done Invisalign with Unionville, Ontario Orthodontist!

We had such a busy last few months leading into September at MCO's Unionville Orthodontist office.    Most parents don't want their kids to miss school, so summer is a really busy time at the office.

Outside of the office, we had some great weather.  So now that the summer bbq's have come to an end, I'm secretly happy because I don't have to constantly take my aligners on and off! As stated in the title, I am about 50% through my treatment! My teeth have moved a lot! My upper two front teeth (previously overlapped) have shifted so much that I'm actually comfortable smiling from ear to ear.  The overlapping was always something I was self conscious about.  I honestly can't wait to see what they will look like in 5, 6, 7, 8....12 months!  

One topic I wanted to write about today was headaches.  I am very prone to getting them (3-4 times a week) and I realized it only got to this number after I started treatment.  I was expecting this to happen because 1) I was already getting headaches and 2) Ortho treatment can cause headaches due to the movement of the teeth.  I will admit that every time I change into a new aligner I get a headache.  Even though I always switch into new sets at night time, I find myself waking up with a headache.  Invisalign is not the sole reason for this, but they do cause tension on the teeth which can lead to headaches.  This is also the case with braces.  When switching into my last 2 sets, I took some Tylenol before going to sleep and it did relieve the severity of the headache when I woke up in the morning.  Some of our Invisalign patients at the office told me they experience this as well, but they know it's only temporary during treatment.  If you are prone to headaches/migraines, I would recommend you switch into your new aligners at night time and use chewies often to reduce any soreness.

Speaking of chewies, many people are not familiar with them.  For anyone who has Invisalign or is planning on getting it, I definitely recommend you ask your Orthodontist to provide you with chewies.  Chewies are rubber like rolls (looks like a cotton roll) that you chew on to stimulate your blood flow and relieve any discomfort.  Here's a link to a video made by Dr. Tam a few years ago (not sure why the video is so shaky, but you'll get the point):

Aside from all the shifting and aligning, more people are starting to notice my Invisalign.  Maybe it's because I'm constantly smiling?  It's not my family or friends that are commenting, it's the cashier at a local pharmacy, my banker, sales associate at a clothing store, and even my high school teacher! The one thing we all have in common is Invisalign! All of us are currently in treatment.  The sales associate actually stopped me in the store and asked me several questions regarding Invisalign (She knew I was a hygienist).  We ended up talking for 20 minutes!

I had some progress photos taken today to share with all of you.  You can see the direct comparison of how my teeth looked when I initially started to now...

I'm loving the progress so far! 

Hope you guys are enjoying the Fall/Autumn season! 

Til' next time, keep smiling! =)